Foot-gear



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. LANGEN.

FOOT GEAR.

No. 377,203. Patented Jan. 31, 1888.

m/zzess es N PETERS. Plwmulhu n her. Wnahingkm, n. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.. M. LANGEN.

PO OT GEAR. V No. 377,203. I Patented Jan. 31, 1888.

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N. PETERS. Phumulhe m hur. Washlnglun, n. C.

EJNITE ST MATHIAS LANGEN, OF MILXVAUKEE, IVISGONSIN.

FOOT-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,203, dated January 31, 1888.

Application filed January '29, 1886.

Serial No. 190,153. (No model.)

.L aZZ whom it may concern: innerpart of my foot-gear,composed of a sheep- Be it known that I, llIA'IHIAS LANGEN, of skin or other pelt out according to a suitable Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and pattern and shaped with the wool or hair side in the State of Visconsin, have invented cerin. \Vhen this portion A of my foot-gear is 55 tain new and useful Improvements in Footmade from a blank similar to that shown in Gear; and I do hereby declare that the follow- Fig. 3, it is crimped into the desired shape ing is a full, clear, and exact description and then notched at the heel and toe, as shown thereof. by dotted lines, said figure, and by full lines,

My invention relates to foot-gear designed Fig. 10, to give the contour of a foot when 60 to be worn in connection with an overshoe or sewed up and permit the attachment of a suitboot. able sole.

Heretofore it has been common to make By the peculiar notching of the blank, as pacs or foot andleg coverings from sheep-skins above described, I am enabled to form the enor other pelts with the wool or hair side out, tire base or pelt portion of my device into the 65 and such pacs have been made entirely from shape of a boot or shoe and bring the wool or felt. I am also aware that shoes have been hair upon the inside throughout the same. made with a pelt lining having the hair or By the employment of a blank, as above dewool side exposed upon the interior of said scribed, but one seam is necessary in uniting shoe; but in the employment of such articles the edges thereof in the form desired, said 70 of foot-gear it has been found almost 01' enseam extending from the top down the front tirely impossible to thoroughly dry the same and back to the heel; but in order to dispense when wet, and especially is this the fact in with crimping I may cut the device in the shoes constructed as above described. form of two blanks of suitable shape (similar My invention therefore has for its objects to to that marked a, Fig. 3) and unite the same 7 2 improve the manufacture of foot-gear and proby suitably stitching their edges, thus formvide a simple, neat, and easily-mannfactured ing a continuous seam extending from the top article of this description that will not only down the front, underthe foot, and back up the give comfort to the wearer, but which at the rear to the top again. same time can be quickly and thoroughly 13 represents a re-enforce of felt,which is cut 80 3o dried when moist or wet. These objects I atfrom a similar blank and shaped in the same min by the construction illustrated in the ac manner as the pelt base A and stitched therecompanying drawings and hereinafter deto, and upon the bottom of the foot-gear thus scribed. formed I secure by stitching a light flexible Figure 1 represents one form of my footsole, 0, of sheep-skin or other suitable niatc- 85 5 gear in perspective; Fig. 2, a sectional view rial, designedprincipally to protect the stitchof the same; Fig. 3, aview of the blank for the ing on the foot portion of my device. foot and leg of a boot-pattern of my device; In the form of my foot-gear shown by Fig. Fig. 4., a view of the sole. Fig. 5 is a perspec- 5 I re-en'l'orce the leg and heel portion only of tive view of my footgear having the upper my device with leather, leaving the foot part 9c 40 portion thereof in imitation of a boot; Fig. 6, entirely composed of the pelt base. This con a view of the blank for the leather re-enforce struction gives the appearance of a boot to the or boot-leg used in the construction shown in device when an ordinary overshoe is worn Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a perspective View of another upon the foot, and at the same time permits form of my invention, showing a short boot in the wearer to have the protection usually 9 5 5 connection therewith; Fig. 8, a perspective given by a boot-leg, while by leaving the foot view of the upper section or boot-top deportion of my device without any rc-enforce tached; Fig. 9, a view of a shoe made in conwhatever the same can be easily dried out formity to my invention; Fig. 10, a View of when moist or wet. The leather re-enforce D, the blank for the form of my invention shown for the form of foot-gear above described, is 1:00 by the preceding figure. shown in detail, Fig. 6, and, if desired, this re- Referring to the drawings, A represents the enforce may be of felt.

In Fig. 7 I show my foot-gear in connection with a short boot, and in this instance I prefer to re-enforce the pelt with leather or felt, E,'down to .where the top of the bootwould come when on the foot, said re-enforce being so stitched to the pelt base A as to leave a flap,'a, and this flap I provide with buttonholes I), designed to engage buttons or hooks c on the boot-top, so as to unite the parts and prevent the entrance of snow or mud.

It is obvious that the re-enforce E may be independent of the pelt; but to give a better appearance to the foot gear when on the market it is preferable to unite the two as above described.

It is also obvious that simply the pelt base can be made as above described and worn with an ordinary boot; but as a short boot can be made at a less cost than the ordinary shoe and the pelt re-enforced at the top by what would beotherwise waste leather, the form described is preferred; and to further cheapen the article and at the same time add to its appearance and sale, the re-enforce may be of felt instead of leather, so as to be worn with the short boot and answer the purpose of a boot leg or top. In this instance, the pelt base being inserted by hand into the short boot and the latter united to the re-enforce, the whole can be drawn on the foot after the manner of an or dinary boot.

In Fig. 9 I show a shoe having a pelt base and felt re-enforce, said parts being cut in the form shown by Fig. 10 and stitched together, the peculiar notching of the blank permitting the formation of the shoe by a single seam eX- tending from the top down the front, then under and back to the heel, after which a light sole is secured thereto to protect the stitching on the bottom. The top stitching on the foot portion of the pelt base in both the boot and shoe form of my device is usually covered by a thin strip pasted to said foot portion of the device, thus giving the appearance of an unsewed article, and I provide the boot forms of my device with straps or pulls d. The shoe form of my foot-gear is designed to be worn with an overshoe or within doors without any additional foot-covering, and is provided with the usual front opening and perforations for a lace. When the pelt base is re-enforced entirely with felt and becomes wet upon the inside, to readily dry the same it is only necessary to turn it inside out, to bring the wet portion near a fire, and when using leatherI leave the toe portion of the pelt base unreenforced, so that when drying the heat may'strike through the inside.

I am aware that a wool-skin sock having the wool side out and united at its top to the corresponding part of a felt lining designedto vide a simple easily-manufactured, foot-gear that not only serves to keep the feet warm when worn, but which can be easily dried as an ordinary stocking, and the parts being united throughout their corresponding lengths there is less liability of the inner part becoming torn by carelessness of the wearer.

Though I have described the part that forms the re-enforce as preferably composed of felt or leather, it may be found desirable to make the same from cloth, rubber, or other suitable non-felt material; and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to any one of these, each being equally applicable as a re-enforce and serving to increase the comfort of the wearer, while individually differing in some respects, and each possessing some advantage over the othersin certain instances. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. In an article offootgear, a pelt base having the wool or hair side thereof turned in and adapted to cover the foot and a portion of the ankle or leg, a re-enforce or outer covering of non-pelt material such as described secured or united throughout its length, or from top to bottom, by the seam that binds their edges together to said base, and a flexible sole, sub-' stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an article of foot-gear, a pelt base having the wool or hair side thereof turned in and IOO adapted'to cover the foot and a portion of the V the former provided with button holes and the. latter with buttons, substantially as and for the purpose set fortln In testimony that I claim the foregoingI have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

MATHIAS LANGEN.

Witnesses:

H. G. UNDERWooD, MAURIcE F. FREAK.

IIS 

